Corpse Tea
by Diva-esque
Summary: TB. Seishirou plays games with Subaru's head.


Aishuu Offers:  
**Corpse Tea**  
Author's note: Special thanks to Raye Johnson- she knows why. Kudos to Leareth for all her work on TB... this is set after TB1 because of server problems with the second one. Dedicated to Gerald and Laur, of course. "Corpse Tea" is a very old joke between a few friends of mine, a joke that they've expanded to include everyone until the point is lost. But the origin is with Tokyo Babylon, of course.

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It's because there are corpses buried underneath the roots, that the sakura blossoms every year..._

Tea is a very Japanese tradition.

It's one I've grown accustomed to, though it's never one I've been fond of. This surprises people, especially when they learn that it's my sister who prefers the elaborate ceremonies, while I prefer the quick and reliable jolts of caffeine supplied by coffee. Everyone always sees me as the traditionalist, which I guess isn't that surprising, since I'm the head of the Sumeragi Clan. Still, I'm not a big fan of eating, so the ritual that goes into great detail of preparation of the food isn't one of the things that top my to-do list.

Hokuto says that it's uncharacteristic of me to miss the point of it- tea ceremonies are about being among friends, and finding peace and harmony. I find it amusing that she seeks those through tea, but she's actually a wonderful teishu... so I've become accustomed to humoring her. Even though I hate the taste of most teas, particularly the classic green tea, and Hokuto seems intend on never using the same blend twice, I've sat through uncountable numbers of teas. She claimed the subtleties in flavor were something to be savored, but...

Well, it was another point I didn't agree with her on.

I wasn't sure why I was thinking of tea ceremonies that day. Seishirou had invited me to lunch, and I was skipping school to join him- not that the school would bother to keep track of me. My teachers were used to me missing classes, and it was more common for me to be absent than to be there. As long as I turned in my assignments and made up whatever exams I missed, they didn't raise a fuss. It was a privilege for them to have me there as their student, after all- I was the Sumeragi, and I was to be the advisor to the leaders of Japan whenever something weird happened. It wouldn't do to kick me out simply because I never showed up.

I smiled as I noticed Seishirou standing outside Ueno Park, waiting for me. Something about being around Seishirou made my heart beat faster, even though I knew it was probably just a crush. I was sixteen, and the perfect age for it- besides, he was another male. I couldn't be in love with him... it wasn't normal. Still, nothing I did approached normal, so I pushed all thoughts of embarrassment about being in love with him away. He flirted with me outrageously, so surely... Anyway, I was intent on just enjoying the meal and his company, without my meddling twin putting her comments in. He waved to me as he saw me appear, a genuine smile at my presence that sent a tingle through me. Seishirou was holding onto a large picnic basket, one which I would wager anything Hokuto had prepared (a special "super romantic" lunch) , which would of course, include tea

I hate tea.

_Do you know why these sakura blossoms are pink?_

Today was green. Hokuto had been particularly worried about me for some reason today, and that was why I allowed her to dress me in green- usually I avoided the color, for it made me stand out too much. Most of my outfits were eye-catching, but whenever I wore green, I tended to end up with many girls following me around, and twice the propositions I usually received, which was saying something. Hokuto said I should get over it and accept the fact I was gorgeous- I preferred to believe that I was just going through a stage where green made me look...

Well, I wasn't sure what to believe, but I didn't want to believe Hokuto. My sister was insane- it was an acknowledged fact among the Sumeragi Clan.

My outfit today was primarily emerald green, and Hokuto had used some Chinese styles as her inspiration. The main shirt was emerald green, and hung down to my knees... It was slit up to my waist on both sides to allow movement (after an unfortunate incident where one of my outfits nearly got me killed, I uncharacteristically put my foot down and insisted that anything I wore at least let me have normal range of motion), and on my front a black and red dragon slithered, encircling my back once before ending in a fantastic head. The pants were low black hip-huggers, and through the slits on my sides, my pale flesh flashed when I moved the wrong way. On my head was perched a large black hat, with a green hatband, and I was, of course, wearing my ever-present black gloves underneath the sweeping sleeves of the shirt. I never went anywhere without those gloves. I wore cute Chinese shoes that I had managed to persuade Hokuto NOT to attach bells to through threat of extreme pain, an empty threat.

We made a strange pair, Seishirou and I, as we walked towards the trees. His classic suit was perfectly cut, and fit him like a glove. Seishirou, somehow, managed to survive all the surgeries he performed in the morning without splattering blood on himself... like usual. Combined with my unusual appearance, we were drawing stares, both admiring and curious. Still, we ignored them.

I was used to ignoring the curious. It was what I had been doing my entire life... as an onmyouji, I was something of a curiosity at the best of times, a freak at the worst. Finding acceptance from someone as normal and nice as Seishirou was a blessing.

It was strange, but he led me unerringly toward that sakura tree, the only one in the park that was in bloom. It was large and lovely, but something about it scent shivers up my spine. I tried to think of an excuse not to sit there, but anything I could come up with would sound childish to him.

"This looks like a nice spot, doesn't it, Subaru-kun?" Seishirou asked me, smiling pleasantly.

I didn't answer him. I couldn't think of anything to say.

_Sakura blossoms are usually white, pure white, like fresh snow..._

Seishirou spread out the blankets, a black one decorated with artistic splotches of white, white as pure as my shikifuku. I stared at it for a second before kneeling on it, answering his unspoken suggestion. He smiled and sank down across from me, and around us petals fall like tainted snowflakes. The scent of sakura sickened me, and I have no appetite for the delicacies that Seishirou was producing from within the basket.

Then again, I have little appetite in most cases. Food is not something I consider an interest, unlike most males my age. He also produced a very large thermos and two seemingly delicate china cups, pouring them carefully before raising a hand to catch a few of the sakura petals that fell. "In China," he said, "they often add flower petals to enhance the flavor of tea... Perhaps you'll like tea a little better that way, Subaru-kun?" he suggested.

I blushed. I hadn't been aware that my distaste for tea had been so obvious to him. "I-I-" I stuttered.

"You're so cute, Subaru-kun... I wonder if there'll be a day when you don't apologize for the little things?"

"I hope so... Hokuto says that I'll never make a proper Sumeragi Head unless I learn how to stand up for myself..." I admitted, as he hands me the cup of tea. I counted three petals floating in the liquid. The liquid looked odd to me, slightly too thick, and the color seemed wrong.

Seishirou studied me for a moment. "I think there will come a day when you are shocked by yourself..." He took a sip of his own tea, sighing with contentment. "Try it," he told me.

The tea was warm enough for me to feel through my gloves, and I gazed at it with dislike. "I really don't like tea, Seishirou-san," I said. The tea covered the pink petals, shading itself to an odd shade... almost red. For a second my fanciful mind made me believe I was holding a cup of blood in my hands, but that image vanished as quickly as it came.

My attention wandered to the petals that continued to rain down, and for a moment I reflected that this was very like a scene from some shoujo manga, with the gorgeous men framed romantically by flowers.

_It's because the sakura feeds on the blood of the corpses buried beneath it!_

I shivered.

I hated sakura trees...

"Ahh... you must at least try it, Subaru-kun!" Seishirou said. He took my cup away from me, much to my surprise, and held his own to my lips. I instinctually swallowed the brew he poured down my throat before the taste set in.

As I took part in the strange communion, I was stunned at the taste. The tea -cherry, which I hated- didn't taste like I had expected. Instead of being fruity and too sweet, it tasted salty and bitter, almost as though I was swallowing liquid sorrow. My eyes widened as the liquid continued to flow through my lips. I wondered when Seishirou would decide to stop feeding me... I was drinking tears... The embodiment of despair... of human hope lost and love denied.

Still the tea flowed, until I almost choked. Just when I was about to gag, Seishirou withdrew the cup, smiling kindly at me.

"What kind of tea is that?" I asked, resisting the urge to spit out the little that remained in my mouth. My stomach churned unpleasantly, and it was only through sheer force of will that I wasn't sick.

Seishirou smiled at me. "It's my own blend. There's a special sakura tree that I harvest from every now and then, but it's the only way to get the tea right. Don't you like it?"

"I don't like tea, Seishirou-san..." I told him, staring at his handsome features, which suddenly seemed like the epitome of mystery and beauty to me. From somewhere within myself, I found the courage I had been lacking. "Can we move? I don't like it here," I said quietly.

His smile was surprised. "But I thought you liked sakura trees!" he said.

I stared into his amber eyes. "No... how can I? There's bodies underneath them... didn't you tell me that? And... those people have to be suffering so terribly..." I whispered.

Something flashed across his face. "You're too kind, Subaru..."

_There are corpses buried under sakura trees..._

THE END

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Notes:

Information on tea ceremonies: teishu is the host of a tea ceremony... Also, adding flowers to tea was done in China in the past (may still be done today- not sure- I was too lazy to keep referencing), and I bugged Raye for a whole bunch of information on it to have enough background to sound like I knew what I was talking about. This fic sprang from a reference in her "Starlit Reflections" and the corpse tea joke between Gerald Tarrant and Laurelgand.

Shikifuku: Onmyouji outfit.


End file.
